Jokkmokk [2]

They are very careful about having plenty of brushwood under the hides on the floor when guests come, otherwise the housewife will be disgraced and their reputations will be impugned when the guests return home.

Strangers are entertained as follows:

Firstly, if someone arrives before they have put anything on to cook, he is given frozen milk, milk with berries or cheese or “kappi”. They then cook meat and, after the meat is removed, they slice reindeer cheese into the juice, which is supposed to be very good. After that, perhaps, dried milk products.

Lapp song. Volle.
Jejeee vu vu aa vujaa, ai: Teeleee, e eee, uau Tali, Tuu, T, etc.

22nd. Betrothal:

1. First of all the suitor jokes with the girl to see if she gets angry. He speaks to the father a few times, perhaps, and tells him when he intends to come. Not always, however.

2. The suitor takes with him all his closest relations if they are in the area, and together they take food with them. He walks last in line.

3. When they arrive there they go in. (If there is another “kåta” close by, the girl often runs there so that she cannot hear anything.) The future bridegroom remains outside or goes to another “kåta”, if there is one. There are 2 or 3 spokesmen among them but one of them is the leader and he is called “Sugnooivi”. They sit down and, when the bridegroom’s father pours schnaps, her father asks him why he is giving him schnaps. “I have come here with good intentions. May God give us success, that is our intention”. If her father is reluctant to drink but nevertheless thanks them for the offer, all of them add their words of support. If he is not reluctant, they go out and fetch their pots and pans, silver etc. and put them on a reindeer hide in the “kata” in front of her father and mother. Either her father or her mother shares it all out – so much for the father, so much for the mother, so much for the daughter. If her mother does not consider it sufficient, she demands more and they often haggle for a long time before everyone has agreed. The parents often give everything back if they do not get as much as they want. If the gift is accepted, they and 2 of the girl’s relations go and fetch her. If the bride has a special friend or sister, the latter will be hugging her tight and wailing so much that the bridegroom’s mother has to give her some rings, brass rings and the like.

When the bride enters, her father asks her whether she is pleased with what he has done and she places herself in his care as the person who knows best what is right for her.

The bridegroom’s mother then lays all the gifts in her lap. If she thinks they are insufficient, she twists and turns and pretends that she does not want to accept them and, by doing so, she perhaps gets a little more, or the promise of more. All of which she hides away. Then the bridegroom’s father and mother give the couple schnaps to drink together out of the same vessel and everyone in the dwelling joins hands in a ring. Afterwards they take their hats off, pray, ask for God’s blessing upon them, and thank God for giving every man a wife etc.

They then drink all the schnaps brought by the bridegroom’s parents and relations, for they have all brought some with them.

After that the bridegroom’s family brings out its food. Most of them have brought a couple of cheeses and a piece of dried and salted meat which they cook at the fire and pass round with dry milk etc. so that all may eat together. The bride and bridegroom are served separately, however.

Two people are then appointed as hosts; one from his side and one from hers. The bridegroom’s people produce 20 to 25 pounds of fresh meat and the husband, wife and hosts cook it and serve it. They cook it in numerous pots – 2 in each “kåta” if there are neighbours, since no Lapp ever has more than 1 “kåta” – or in relays otherwise. The fat is skimmed off and poured into bowls. Woollen clothes and blankets are spread out to put the food on. The most prominent people, as many as there are room for, eat in the proper “kata” while the children and the others eat in a neighbouring “kata”. A prayer is said, the bridegroom and bride sit together next to the entrance and the best is laid out before them. Now they eat. The meat is spitted on the point of a knife, dipped in the fat and eaten. They drink the stock. People from other villages and places come there and look in through the door or flaps. The hosts cannot avoid serving these spongers and give them 2 or 3 pieces depending on how much esteem they hold them in. The hosts then gather together all the food in a blanket, but the bride and groom’s leftovers are put separately since no one else is allowed to eat them. They say a prayer, shake hands and offer their thanks while saying “kusslln”; man and wife are shaken by the hand first, then the rest. After they have drunk a little schnaps they go to bed (the reindeer having been let loose when they started cooking), bride and groom sleeping together but with their clothes and everything else on.

When they get up the following morning, the bridegroom’s father or relations offer drink if they have any left. The bride’s father seldom has any set by in readiness since all the schnaps has to be bought in from outside.

Next they take out the cold food that was left over, the bride’s people add cheese and dry milk, and they eat. Also dried meat. Then the bride’s people usually cook some fresh meat and, when all have eaten their fill, they set off home. The banns are read once only and the wedding is held very shortly after. Once the wedding is over, the groom accompanies the bride home the first night, or goes home to his own place and remains there 1, 2 or even 5 days and then goes to her, taking his fortune in reindeer with him and staying there a while.

Those Lapps who are rich give the following for a wife: 1. to the father they give a “krano” or bedcover, a small silver beaker, a woollen tunic (there are no gathers in Lapp clothing), a few riksdaler, silver rings, spoons etc.; in many cases this amounts to a value of over 100 copper daler. 2. to the mother they give a silver belt, a woollen tunic.

‘Angelica’ [Garden Angelica] is called ‘björnstut” by the people of Västerbotten but the Lapps have more confusing names for it. In the first year that it grows, the root is called “Urtas” and the leaves “Fadno”, but in its second year the plant is called “Posco”. When its stalk has been dried, it is called “Rasi”, that is “grass”; “elli rasiist purro etnach” – that is, “make sure that you get as much grass as you can”.